The Girl Who Floated from the Sea
by cristina rosales
Summary: "Never fall in love with a mermaid," that's what everyone at the lab says, and Jace broke that rule. "Never fall in love with a human," Isabelle often tells Clary, but she did. With all the odds stacked against them, how can they they find hope, safety, and love? Or is it just true that a mermaid and human can't be. . . ? *Up and running, (for now)*
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks for reading! And please comment constructive criticism, this will be a two-three shot.**

 **For you Amaris, because you don't think I can write Clace.**

 _A girl with red hair_

She really didn't like harvest. Holding a woven basket while drifting in between the kelp, picking the greenest leaves, and closing the basket so they don't drift out should be lulling for some, but for her it was monotonous. _Empty_.

Yet she kept doing it. Her braids flowed back and forth in the rhythm of the current. _Like the winds_ , the young girl smiled. Winds were not here in the ocean, but the tides mimicked the old fictional object. As she reached for another green leaf, the kept parted for a black-haired girl to pass through.

"Clary!" The other girl flicked swam up to the redhead and her dark tail glittered with the tiny specks of silver, "You have to come to the surface with me! There's been a shipwreck!"

The girl paused midway from plucking a ripe leaf from its stem. "So?" Her tone radiated impatience but if one listened closely one could hear the fear in her voice, "We all can't afford to ditch working on our farms when we please." Although she would never admit it out loud, the redhead was jealous of the other girls tall, flowing stature and midnight hair that contrasted with her stark white skin; almost the color of the dead.

"Come on Clary!" The raven haired girl begged, "You might find something to sell," at the word 'sell' the red head snapped up, knowing the harsh truth that one can never pass up the opportunity to barter for more goods. Maybe a driftwood comb.

"Okay, I'll go," Clary tried to push back the fear suddenly rising in her throat, like sand when human feet stomp it up. _A shipwreck_ , the exact place where her brother was killed.

"Clary, I know about Jonathan, but sometimes you have to face your fears," Isabelle comforted, "And this would be for a good opportunity for closure."

Clary sighed knowing that Isabelle was right, and she quickly swam down to retrieve her satchel that she weighted to the bottom of the ocean floor.

"I need to get one thing," she did not check to see is the pale girl heard, but swam farther into the kelp field, knowing exactly where to go.

-/-/-

The pile of dark rocks was surrounded by swaying kelp, just like he would've like it, Clary noted and a she could feel the tear of air slipping out, and she reached out at caught the tiny drop. Jonathan said that he wanted his body to be buried in the kelp fields, and now he lay there, surrounded by a swaying reminder that they would remain farmers forever. Clary took a deep breath and swam closer and closer, and darkness soon engulfed her.

-/-/-

The cave was bigger on the inside, being half under the sand and Clary searched around for her witchlight. The cave was soon bathed in a blue glow and the mermaid could see the body wrapped tightly in dyed kelp, with a shell adornments speaking of a happy life, daring adventures, and a kind heart. But on Jonathan's heart lay his favorite possession, his sword.

The blade was made of granite, a rare stone of the world above. The hilt made of smooth glass, and designs of stars covered the hilt and the blade. The Morning Star, is what Jonathan called it, because it brings light to a dark world. When I die, Clary, I want this to be yours. Clary could feel tears streaming down her face and without thought she dropped the sword, let her head fall into her hands, and wept.

 _And a tail made of flames._

"Clary," a soft voice split through the darkness, "Clary? By the Angel, Clary." Isabelle found the poor girl huddled in the corner crying over Jonathan's body. The raven haired beauty helped the sobbing girl up.

"Isa—bel le." Clary's voice shook.

"Shhh, I know Clary," Isabelle calmed, suddenly feeling like her mother, "It's going to be alright, he's in a happy place. A happy place,"

"I still. . . want to go. . . to the shipwreck," Clary spoke in between the sobs, "Jon would. . . want me too." Clary bursted into tears—again.

Clary tried to help herself up from the hunched position, and Isabelle rushed to help her sit up. "Here eat this," Isabelle handed Clary a seaweed wrap, and Clary took it with shaky hands.

"Thanks. . Iz," Clary choked out, "Your. the. best. I still want to go,"

"If you insist," Isabelle twisted her hair into a knot, "let's go."

.

Clary reached into her satchel hoping she remembered to grab some seaweed before departing to go scour a abandoned ship—she didn't, and for the fifth time that day Clary's stomach rumbled. Isabelle kept plowing forward.

"Iz, do you have any kelp?" Clary hurried to keep up with Izzy.

Izzy sighed, "I do Clary but you'll be more hungry on the way back, we should save some for later."

Clary huffed, and pulled to help catch up with Izzy. "Iz, are you sure you say a shipwreck and it wasn't a hallucination?"

"For the 100th time I'm positive I say the darn ship!" Clary just stared at Izzy's outburst. "Sorry," The raven haired girl replied stubbly.

The sun shifted from directly penetrating the surface to lower in the sky, and Clary was getting worried. "Izzy, I think we should turn around. I think we won't make it."

"By the Angel Clary! We will make it!" Isabelle's voice ringed with annoyance, "Since when did you care of what Jocelyn worried about you!?"

Clary shifted her gaze away from Isabelle, and began to find a loose strand of her hair very interesting.

"I'm sorry, Clary," Isabelle's voice was surprisingly soft, "I just lost it there." Clary still found her hair interesting, and was frustrated at the other mermaid for snapping at her. "Find then!" Izzy's threw her hands up, "If you won't answer I won't care!"

An awkward silence filled the duo as they swam in silence towards a ship. "There it is!" Izzy cried out, pointing to a fuzzy outline just beneath them. "Clary? Clary! _**CLARY!**_ " Clary looked up just to find herself looking at a shark, a big shark, a huge shark that would eat her in one bite ** _. "SWIM!"_**

Clary darted for the abandoned ship, hoping it would have some cover. All she could here was the thump, thump of her heart and the swish, swish of her tail. A warning that she wasn't swimming fast enough. Clary propelled herself through the water, dodging any high up coral. _Stay low to the ground,_ Jonathan's words echoed in her mind, _sharks can't swim as agile, but is faster in open ocean._ Clary quickly dove for the coral, ignoring the pain that rippled throughout her body when the coral sunk itself deep into her flesh, and ripped out when Clary tore it out.

The swimming almost became a dance: dips and turns, swirls and swooshes, and if she wasn't swimming for her life, Clary might've laughed and enjoyed herself.

Then a screamed echoed throughout the entire ocean and hung there in the suspended in the sea, **_"CLARY!."_**

Isabelle was trapped between serval colorful coral and was trying to fight the huge silver shark with a tiny dagger. Not thinking of the consequences, Clary rushed toward Izzy, sword drawn.

"Iz! I'm coming!" Clary would regret those words forever, for once she said them the shark turned, bared its teeth, and lunged at Clary. She had no time to register the pain, or how Isabelle's screams sounded like dolphin chirps, or that the shark had serval broken teeth, or that her hair was out of its braid, encircling her head like fire. She didn't register these things because the world went black before Clary even realized her sword had fallen out of its sheathe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. . . school started. I love school, but the people make me hate it. I'm going to write a Gossip a Girl AU TMI fanfic soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Sorry this is a pretty short chapter.**

 **If you get me to 7+ reviews for this chapter I'll post the next one by next week Monday. :)**

Enjoy!

.

A boy with gold eyes

She woke with her hair out of her braid. That was the only thing Clary could register. The fiery, red strands were shades lighter than her reddish skin and drifted around her head—a fire in the water.

"Thank the ocean," the dark haired girl mutters, "I thought we lost you."

Isabelle was sitting on a rock. Where did they have the rock? All Clary could remember was the hit, crash, smack of the shark. And the pain, pain, pain of the bite.

Clary's hand flew to her temple, an old habit she barely realized she did. An odd, sticky sap was on her temple. Clary brought her hand down, and on her calloused fingers lay a gold, icky substance; one Clary hated to see. Though it's color was thought to be descended from the Angels of the Sacred Seas of Idris. It was a gold, metallic, liquid that didn't disperse in the water, but clumped together—blood.

.

She didn't remember passing out, but Clary didn't remember much after the shark. Everything was just a blur of bright colors and a loud voice of Isabelle. Or was it someone else? She saw spirits hovering to and fro, of many ancestors long past. Clary wanted to say things—talk to them—but her mouth was so heavy, and her eyes drooped at the thought.

She wanted to wake up from this long sleep, and sometimes she did. . . but would often fall into that dark pit later. The water was cold, her stomach was empty, the sand was rough, the bright lights would flash and bang, but she was so tired.

Clary did not realize that she had no sword, but she did realize that her hair was out of its braid.

.

Clary woke with something bright in her eyes. It was the color of nothing. It was bright yet was nothing. She was lying on a rock, and all she could see was just sand. "Isabelle?" She called out, "Iz? Where are you?" Her voice slipping up another octave.

A curtain of dark hair flew a few lengths away. Iz! Clary swam as fast as possible towards her, her red hair out of its braid. She kept swimming until she struck a rock.

Well it wasn't quite a rock, but she did hit something. Isabelle was now looking at her with her dark brown eyes. Iz carefully swam up to Clary and reached out. She hit the rock-like-thing too. A clear rock, Izzy noted.

Clary—on the other hand—was determined to get to her best friend. She kept swimming back and trying to slam her entire weight against the rock-like-thing. Izzy kept touching the clear object fascinated, but she wanted to save Clary.

Isabelle quickly wrapped her hair into a knot, swam backwards, and charged into the clear rock. It didn't shatter. Izzy felt a throbbing pain in her shoulder, a red gash was spreading across her pale skin. It pulsed with the beat of her heart. This is futile. She warily approached the clear rock, and rapped on it.

Clary's unkept hair drifted up when she glanced up. Isabelle gestured to her arm, while mouthing some words. Clary leaned in closer, what did she say. Clary gestured to her ear, "I can't hear you!" She yelled. Isabelle gave her a funny look. She kept mouthing some words.

Clary pounded on the glass. "What in the oceans name are you saying!" Isabelle just looked pissed. She turned around and went to the rock—that looks like hers—in her clear rock section.

Clary just sits on the rock and braids her messy, red hair. With each twist of the strand she felt more in control. Clary took deep breaths, her chest rising and falling steadily. Calm down, she reprimanded herself, Jonathan would want you to calm down. Clary just kept braiding her hair. She reached for her temple to massage it.

.

Isabelle was sick of searching for a rock. Like rocks in the ocean, rocks would break with contact to another pointy, strong rock. The clear rock would react the same way. Isabelle spent segments scourging the fine white sand. All there was in this rock surrounded place was; a braided rope contraption, a dark rock that looked like the one Clary had, a wooden comb, and a clear glass surrounded enclosure.

It was futile to try to find a object to break the clear rock.

.

And golden hair

.

Jace has never really wanted to be a scientist. His adopted father—Valentine—wanted him to be one. He ran a tired hand through his golden hair. He was studying and monitoring the mermaids in their enclosure.

After seven years of searching the sea, he had finally found not one—but two mermaids. Well, it wasn't just him. It in his crew of scientists was where he belonged.

The fiery haired one was the most interesting one that Jace had to monitor. She showed signs of rebellion: trying to break the glass, and screaming at the dark haired one. Their bell like screams didn't remind Jace of any language he spoke—and he spoke quite a few of languages.

What was interesting about the mermaids was that they had a tint to their skin. No one every imaged that they would. The rebellious one had a reddish tint and the dark haired one had the most white, pale skin. They both seemed smart, but they were no match for the team of scientists.

This was his kingdom, and they were his subjects.

.

After serval days of studying the mermaids, Jace was getting quite bored.

All the fish like creatures would do was comb their hair, nap, try to break the glass, or scourge the white sand.

The only time worth watching is when feeding time came, and dead fish would be given to the mermaids. The dark haired one would use her long nails to pick out anything she didn't like, and then swallow it down in nice bites. While the red head—the one Jace now finds kinda hot—would just scarf it down.

And today was the day Jace was going to make his break through. The bell like laugaunges were impossible to understand, and Jace had a natural knack for laugaunges. He was going to be fluent in mermaid.

Jace quickly adjusted his blinding white lab coat, and walked to the stairs that lead into the top of the enclosures—like the ones they would use for dolphins. The redhead looked up when he was staring at her, and the dark one could care less. A rush of excitement ran through Jace, and his features lit up.

He grabbed at his clipboard to keep himself from fangirling in such a profession environment. He cleared his throat and ask the mermaid a simple question. "What's your name?" He nodded to the redhead.

She just cocked her head, shrugged, and reached for her temple. This was going to take forever.


End file.
